Believe it or not, I was known as the “sporty” child in my family. Growing up with two older brothers, I was always the first to take my dad up on an offer to attend a Red Sox game, or to sign up for lacrosse camp in the summer (truth be told, I quit after three days. Lacrosse is hard). In middle school I dabbled in field hockey, basketball, squash and softball, with a bit of dance and swimming on the side. Softball became my main game, being known as a pitcher who couldn’t stop smiling and never looked tough. As I entered college (in Canada), my competitive streak ended, and though I loved the occasional game of catch in a park, I was checked out from the world of sports. That being said I missed the whole college sports thing, including March Madness, which, I’m told, is pretty fun. Taking a note from my American peers who still feel strong ties to their college teams years after graduating, I thought this March would be the perfect opportunity for me to try my hand at March Madness. With a twist of Pleasant Pops and some far off promises that summer is indeed coming soon, let me present Pop Madness.

16 pops. One month. You decide which pop shall reign supreme.

The bracket, as shown above, outlines the first eight head-to-head battles of pops. Each face off will have two days to be voted on by you, our customers. Simply come into the store, pick a pop-stick and place it in the box of the pop you love the most. At the end of two days we'll tally the sticks and the winner will move on to the next round. By the end of the month, we will have crowned a winner.

During the first battle, Watermelon Mint came out on top. That means in a few weeks it will face off against this round's winner (Coconut Cardamon or Vegan Mexican Chocolate). There are some tough matches coming up: Cookies & Cream vs. Chongos...Grapefruit Rosemary vs. Strawberry Rhubarb...How will you ever decide!?